It’s been a week since the 2021/2022 premier league season ended and there’s been mixed reactions as always from various clubs and her supporters. Clubs have fought for the premier league title, top four placement, mid-table finishes and also for survival, all in all leading to another exciting and action-packed season for fans and viewers all over the world.
For clubs that performed below expectation, their fans would be glad to see the back end of the season and for clubs that have done average, their supporters would hope next season holds more joy. While supporters of the over-achievers would be eagerly waiting to once again see their beloved team in action, next season’s domestic football (Premier league, FA Cup and Carabão cup) promises even more drama, entertainment and top-level competition for places.
Twenty teams began the premier league campaign and a champion emerged in Manchester City with the citizens wining on final day to be crowned champions for the fourth time in five seasons, beating fierce competitors Liverpool by a single point.
The top four compiled of teams;
City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Spurs in that particular order. With disappointments for Arsenal and United who ended up in Europa league places while West Ham got the Europa Conference league as a consolation after a remarkable journey in this season’s UEL before finishing seventh in the league.
Three teams got relegated; Norwich, Watford and Burnley.
The focus here is on Chelsea’s season and we take a close look into what the 2021/2022 season held up for the blues.
Chelsea started the season earliest than the others with a match in Belfast against Villarreal (Super Cup final) wining the trophy for the first time.
The team proceeded to playing domestic football that weekend with an opening day victory over Crystal Palace, 3-0 at the Bridge.
Coming into the season, the blues had the chance to play a maximum of 64 games and ended up playing 61 barring the semifinal and final of the UEFA Champions league. That’s the most games of any English side this season and fatigue seemed to take its toll on Thomas Tuchel’s squad.
The blues started the season brilliantly with a win against Arsenal, a brilliant draw at Liverpool and a number of impressive performances in the cup competitions before losing back-back against City and Juventus.
The defeats acted as a wake up call to the blues who bounced back to record impressive results both in domestic and international competitions. Most notable against Juve at the Bridge.
A 4-0 thumping of the Italian giants saw the blues at the peak of their powers before tragedy struck in the form of injuries. First it was Kante, then an in form Ziyech, before losing Chilwell who was in the form of his life to a season ending injury.
The downward spiral started that moment and the game that followed that against United saw the beginning of the blues’ struggle.
From United at the Bridge, Chelsea failed to win back-back games and dropped valuable points in the league against lower opposition.
That period saw the blues draw against Burnley and Everton in home games, lost to West Ham after leading at the break and suffered late heart breaks against Brighton and Zenit St. Petersburg in the UCL.
The new year didn’t bring about a change and the blues got a chance to make history (Wining the Club World Cup for the first time in our history) in Abu Dhabi.
The blues conquered Al Hilal in the semi-final before a late Kai Harvertz penalty secured a new crest on the club’s jersey.
Chelsea’s adventures in the Far East didn’t change much of the club’s fortunes before the unexpected happened in Ukraine.
Political tension in Europe led to the Club being sanctioned and the owner, Roman Abramovich forced to forfeit ownership of the club.
The sanctions and issues off the pitch were hard to ignore but Tuchel and his staffs did a brilliant job in ensuring the players didn’t get distracted but fought for the badge and people at the club that weren’t in the limelight recording a 9-game wining run that included nail bitting moments like games against Newscastle and Lille in the UCL.
Thereafter such brilliant run came the March international break and just like last season under Tuchel, Chelsea capitulated after the break with damaging home defeats against Brentford and Madrid threatening to put the season in jeopardy.
Despite all odds against the blues, Chelsea put up an incredible fight in a game of the season contender at the Bernabeu, leading 3-0 before conceding a late goal to take the tie to extra time where Madrid won courtesy a predatory finish from strong Ballon d’or contender, Karim Benzema.
With big wins against Southampton, Norwich and Juventus stamping Chelsea as a force to reckon with, dampening defeats to Brentford, Arsenal and Everton means Tuchel still has work to do if Chelsea are to challenge City and Liverpool at the summit of the league despite cup finals (Carabão and FA Cup) saying otherwise.
With everything the club managed to achieve under the ownership of Roman Abramovich, we as fans of the club show our appreciation and he’d always remain one of us and our very own Roman. This is wishing him the very best in the future.
All in all, 2021/2022 season has seen some of the very best football from the blues and with a new owner to takeover, a busy summer of deals is expected at the Bridge.
Fans, players, coaches, and staffs are all looking ahead of the new season with optimism and Chelsea remain at the top of our priority as the only club after our heart.
Go blues, soar Chelsea! 💙
